105 indoor activities for kids: things to do on rainy days

When the weather's rubbish, it's the perfect opportunity to dig out all your board games and challenge the kids to a game or two.

Rainy day Connect 4, anyone? You can find it here at Amazon. Or check out our roundup of all the best family board games.

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Playdough is super quick and easy to make yourself and will keep kids engrossed for hours when the weather is bad.

Follow our step-by-step instructions for homemade playdough.

You can add food colouring and glitter to jazz it up a bit.

Break out pastry cutters, cutlery, rolling pins and anything else to imprint marks in the playdough. The kids will love to explore making models and patterns.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... coming, ready or not! Who doesn't love hide and seek?

If your kids are younger, you can even get their toys to join in.

Housebound activities don't get much better than cooking up a storm in the kitchen. After all, you get to eat the results!

Home-made pizzas are loads of fun and we have plenty of easy biscuit and baking recipes you can have a go at too.

Enjoy the food when it's ready by having an indoor picnic (perhaps invite the teddies, too?).

Ask your children to pick out a selection of their favourite books and arrange them in rows, like a mini library.

Gather comfy beanbags or floor cushions and curl up together sharing books.

You could challenge older kids to a read-a-thon to see how many books/chapters can be read during the day. 

Check out our guide to the best books for kids of all ages.

Indoor treasure hunts are guaranteed to keep the kids entertained.

For older children, hide rhyming clues around the house leading to one another and the eventual prize.

If your kids are younger, mark wooden pegs with different coloured dots and peg around the house. Each dot equals a different number of points – when they collect enough points, they win a prize.

If you're feeling adventurous, challenge them to a micro treasure hunt. Everyone gets a matchbox to fill it with as many tiny objects as they can find in 10 minutes – try paper clips, buttons, a grain of rice, or a piece of Lego. Whoever has the most objects wins a prize.

Find some dried pasta, paper and PVA glue and create some pasta masterpieces.

Feeling brave? Add some rice to the mix and see what your mini Monets can come up with.

If your children are younger, stick some newspaper down to prevent the inevitable glue-mageddon!

Be sure to grab this washable PVA glue that can be used on paper, card, wood AND fabric. You can find it here at Amazon.

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Rainy days and dens go hand in hand.

Drape sheets and blankets over chairs and tables to build an indoor den, and fill it with soft cushions.

These handy clips are a great invention for holding it all together and are available at Amazon for £5.59.

Your children could draw their own signs for the entrance and gather books, teddies and snacks to take into their dens, too.

If space is limited, build a fort out of a big cardboard box using packing tape to hold the sides together.

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Challenge the family to some good old-fashioned drawing games.

You could play hangman, noughts and crosses, battleships or 'Pictionary' (where each family member draws objects for the rest of the players to guess).

Every family has an odd sock collection, collecting dust at the bottom of the laundry basket. Fish yours out to make puppets.

If by some miracle you can't find any odd socks, washing-up gloves work just as well.

Once they're finished, task the kids with putting on a show.

Just because it's no one's birthday doesn't mean you can't have a party!

Get the kids to dress up in their finery and then play party games. You can even blow up balloons, bake a cake together and have party snacks.

Face paints and glitter will add to the mood if you're feeling especially brave.

An indoor obstacle course is one effective way to help your kids to burn off some energy if you're cooped up indoors.

Get your children to hop along the hall, snake under the table, throw beanbags into a bucket, do a forward roll on the sofa cushions and pick up some dried pasta with their teeth and transfer from one bowl to another.

Use your imagination (and the children's, too) to come up with a challenging course. You can even time each child and give toy medals to everyone who completes it.

Gather up plain plant pots you've got lying around and ask the children to decorate them with bright colours and patterns.

Old emulsion paints or acrylics will work best. If pots are stained or dirty, colour them white and, when dry, your kids can paint on bright colours.

If everyone's starting to go a bit stir crazy, get the children dressed in their waterproofs and wellies, give them umbrellas and make like Peppa Pig ... after all, everyone loves jumping in muddy puddles!

Wellies are a total must-have. These ones from Crocs will do the job (and more) as they are sturdy and comfy.

You can have warm baths and steaming cups of hot chocolate when you get home to warm up again.

Why not challenge your kids to taste the rain? Sounds bonkers but they'll love it! Check out this Winter Challenge Chart for more outdoor inspiration.

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Rain and wind usually go hand in hand, and wind means kites.

Take a kite to the park and challenge your kids to fly it. It's much harder than you might think but everyone will have a laugh trying!

Give the activity some extra oomph by having a go at making your own kites with this guide from Instructables.

Combine nature and creativity by finding some stones or pebbles and while away some hours painting them. Acrylic paints work best.

They could be painted with pretty patterns, made into bugs or 'rock monsters' or simply decorated all over with colour and glitter.

Once you've decorated a haul, hide them around your local area for other people to spy as they go about their days.

Gather paper, pens, scissors and glue, magazines and photographs and make scrapbooks.

You can choose a theme such as 'all about me' or 'my pet' or 'my holiday'.

Scrapbooks are also lovely projects to take into school as a 'show and tell', or to give to grandparents as gifts.

Lay a sheet out on the floor in the shape of a catwalk. You could also dig out the Christmas fairy lights and place them round the edge to for extra glam.

Then task your kids with putting on a fashion show, choosing their outfits and taking it in turns to walk down the catwalk strutting their stuff.

Using shoe boxes, create mini scenes inside with card, paper, sticky tape and glue.

Perhaps they could be houses for tiny toy animals? Or underwater aquariums or space scenes? Let your children's imagination flow.

Can't find any shoe boxes at home? We've got loads of other art and craft ideas to do with your kids.

Tissue boxes and elastic bands make excellent guitars, paper plates with milk bottle tops can be fantastic tambourines, and dried rice or pasta in bottles or tins are the perfect maracas and shakers.

If you think your ears can cope, hitting pan lids with wooden spoons makes for brilliant drums – we've yet to find a baby or toddler who doesn't love to bang them!

Or why not paint some wooden spoons? Then carefully puncture two holes in the spoon and thread through some wool. Tie on some beads to make your own maraca, then shake, rattle and roll to some upbeat music!

If your kids love loom bands they'll also enjoy making friendship bracelets.

All you need is embroidery thread and some patience to weave pretty bracelets they can keep, or give to their friends.

Here are 5 easy bracelets to weave.

Find a large plant pot or two and fill with soil.

Decorate the 'garden' with pebbles, shells, sticks, leaves and plants. Finally add some little figures and voila, you've made a beautiful fairy garden.

Champagne corks can be turned into cute toadstools and lolly sticks are perfect for fences.

It may be raining outside, but the sun will come out eventually! Fruit pops are fun – and simple – to do, super pretty, totally yummy and a sneaky way to get some of their five a day into your kids.

You will need a fruit pop mould kit. We really like this one – see more details here at Amazon.

Here are some ice lolly recipes for you to sample.

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Remember having pen pals when you were a kid? And how exciting it was when a letter came through the door.

Go old-school with your kids and write proper letters – they can be to Granny, uncles, aunties and friends.

Once they're written, pop on your wellies, wrap up warm and venture out to post them.

A pretty row of toilet-roll houses is perfect for teeny tiny fairy folk.

Fetch some loo roll tubes, which you can then help your kids decorate with paper, felt tips or paint. Draw on tiny windows and doors, and glue a cupcake case to the top as a roof.

We've got even more ideas for junk modelling for when the rain isn't easing up in the near future.

Build your boats from plastic tubs or fruit juice boxes.

Use straws, lollipop sticks and any other craft items you have in the cupboard for the sails. Then see if your boats float in the bath.

You could extend this activity into a mini science lesson by gathering a basket full of different items (such as a key, an apple, a spoon, a stick, a cork and a plastic animal) and seeing which items float and which sink. Get your kids to place their bets before you put each item in the water.

We love these cardboard owls. Flatten down one end of the toilet roll to create your owl's ears. Then paint the toilet rolls a bright colour.

When they're dry, glue on buttons for eyes and cut out some pretty fabric for the wings and a beak.

Last job? Give them a name!

Browse this list for more toilet roll tube craft ideas.

Even if sewing isn't your thing, and you don't know one end of a needle from the other, you won't believe how easy these fab capes are to make.

Perfect for your little superheroes. Here are the easy peasy instructions.

If you've never tried salt painting before, prepare to be amazed! Simply draw patterns and designs onto a piece of card with PVA glue and then sprinkle with salt.

Next you dab on paint – watch it fizz and see the colours merge for a beautiful painting.

Follow these step-by-step instructions to making your own salt painting.

Finger puppets are a brilliant, easy first sewing project for children and a nice mess-free way for kids to get crafty and creative when you're stuck indoors.

Make these gorgeous felt finger puppets and then challenge your crew to put on a puppet show.

Blow painting is a really fun painting idea for kids. Water down some paint and use a drinking straw to blow it in all sorts of directions.

Once it's dry, you can stick on googly eyes to turn your splodges into aliens.

Here are some fantastic blow painting picture ideas and step-by-step instructions.

A brilliant craft, but probably most suited to older kids.

Paracord is the same nylon cord that's been used in parachutes since World War II. Once you master the easy 'weave' these are so quick to do and look fantastic.

We've got easy step-by-step instructions here.

These pretty button pictures are a sweet craft idea to do with your kids when you're all out of rainy day ideas.

Take a piece of card and first get your children to paint on the tree trunk and branches.

When it's dry, glue on lots of assorted buttons for the leaves. If you have smaller children, watch that they don't put the buttons in their mouths.

This lovely mixed assortment of 800 buttons comes with a variety of sizes and colours – see more details on Amazon.

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This Japanese tape – more commonly known as washi tape – has taken the DIY and craft worlds by storm.

This lollipop stick dolls are our favourite ever washi tape craft for kids.

They make perfect puppets or can be used as bookmarks. Here are the step-by-step instructions.

Washi tape is also good for giving old hairbands a new lease of life and decorating pencils.

Since when were potatoes the only vegetable you could print with?

Raid the vegetable drawer and have fun printing with any of the following:

- broccoli
- carrots
- parsnips
- celery hearts
- onions
- courgettes.

If you want to experiment with fruit too, apples and oranges work well.

An oldie, but a goodie. Fill any big bag you have with random objects ... a rubber duck, a carrot, a tea bag ... the crazier the better.

Each player must be blindfolded and is given 30 seconds to feel around the bag.

The person who can identify the most objects is the winner.

First of all draw a big tree onto a large sheet of paper.

Go back as far as everyone can remember, writing all your relatives on a branch.

Family photo albums can help you remember, as can enlisting the grandparents!

Lego never gets old. There are countless rainy-day Lego games – enough to keep you entertained all day.

You could challenge your kids to see who can build the tallest tower in three minutes, without it falling over. To make it harder, have a rule that each piece they add must be larger than the last. Then send everyone to the other side of the room and see who can knock the towers over first with rolled up socks.

For older kids, give each one a cup of Lego and the winner is the first to write the word Lego with their bricks.

Little ones will want loads of Legos to complete this and we've got you covered! This 100-piece set of multi-coloured Lego bricks is exactly what you need and you can find it on Amazon.

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Draw out your own board game on a big sheet of paper, deciding what type of games you want – are you more of a Monopoly-style family or is snakes and ladders more your thing?

Between you come up with the rules, then test it out as a family.

Learn a new card game that the whole family can take part in.

Go Fish, Crazy Eights, Old Maid and Rummy are great card games for children and beginners. And let's not forget snap.

You could go for a quirky deck that kids will enjoy even more, such as this Spongebob-themed one that you can find here at Amazon.

Here are some of our favourite easy family card games.

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Will your kids opt for a broadsheet style, a trashy tabloid or a celeb gossip mag?

Give them any magazines or newspapers you have laying around for inspiration then set them loose making up some crazy news stories or 'interviewing' the latest must-see celebrity!

It's simpler than it sounds!

You can turn just about any square fabric into a cushion. Your child will get to practice some essential fine motor skills with a simple running stitch and they'll make something to be proud of.

For small fingers, try a bigger blunt needle, with wool for thread.

Everyone knows children love a cardboard box.

Give them one to build a tower, a fort, a city or a town. They can include roads, tracks, bridges, parks, churches and car-parks.

Some wooden building blocks, cars, trains and toy animals will add to the fun and it should keep them entertained for hours (or at least half an hour!).

We're not sure what exactly it is about folding a piece of paper and letting it fly across the room that is so enticing to kids of all ages, but we do know it's a childhood right of passage.

See who can make the most aerodynamic plane, or the wackiest design and compete to see whose plane can go the furthest.

Making colourful planes is much more exciting than the standard white ones. Get this 100-pack of A4 coloured paper at Amazon and start creating!

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Shooting marbles – using one marble's motion to slam another marble into action – is a game almost as old as time. Keep a close eye on your little ones though, as they're a choking hazard.

A good alternative game is marble toss – your kids compete to throw marbles into a cardboard egg carton, scoring points if they succeed.

This classic game, often reserved for car journeys, is guaranteed to relieve boredom, even if only for a few minutes!

Take things up a notch for older kids by challenging them to 'spy' and guess two or 3-word objects, or restricting them to 1 room.

A children's party classic, balloons don't always have to go hand in hand with pass the parcel and cake.

Why not play old-school ball games with a balloon instead? Piggy in the middle works well, as does trying to keep the balloons in the air with only heads or legs.

If you have paper plates, have a game of balloon tennis without worrying about any ornaments being smashed.

Older children will love to write a script for their very own show.

Give them some pointers to get them started and encourage them to use their imagination, create some crazy characters and make it as wild and wacky as possible.

If you're anything like us you've got hundreds of amazing photos on your phone doing nothing and never being looked at.

A rainy day is the perfect opportunity to go through them with your kids, laugh at forgotten memories, print out your favourites and create an album together.

If you haven't got a printer, there are lots of great websites that allow you to upload pictures and put together photo books.

Guess what? Toilet rolls are back again!

First up paint some trusty toilet roll tubes. Once they're dry, stand them up like skittles and take turns knocking them over with a tennis ball.

You can devise a racing track to rival Silverstone with nothing more than some long strips of masking tape and toy cars.

The best bit? It's mess free and super easy to clear up, too.

Everything tastes better when it's been made from scratch, and pizzas are no exception, especially if you've chosen your own toppings.

We have a great recipe for making your own DIY pizza.

This specially made pizza tray with aerating holes will help you get a crispier crust – see more details on Amazon.

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Why not get your kids to act out the script they wrote in number 48 to an audience ... in other words, you!

If you prefer, charades is a classic go-to on rainy days. Teach your kids the rules, write down some books, films, plays and TV shows and away you go.

A simple garter stitch should be easy enough for most children to master. If knitting isn't your thing, there are lots of tutorials online.

It'll take them a while to properly get the hang of it, and once they have, maybe they could knit a scarf. Start with one for a teddy or a doll.

Rummage though all your unwanted stuff, box it up and give it to your local charity shop.

If your children struggle with giving away their toys – even ones they haven't played with for two years, which have suddenly become their 'favourite' – try explaining how charity shops can help people less fortunate than you.

The supermarket game is unbeatable: ‘ I went to the supermarket and bought some apples …’

‘I went to the supermarket and bought some apples and some bananas.’

Follow the alphabet and each person must start the list from the beginning, before adding their own supermarket buy.

See who can remember the most!

OK, at first glance this might not be the most thrilling thing for kids to do on a rainy day, but there are ways to make it fun, and you get a clean house out of it. Win win.

Have rewards up your sleeve for work well done. Pocket money, maybe? Or a trip to the park when it's nicer out.

Turn each other into animals, monsters, aliens, fairies, super heroes, unicorns ... anything you can think of. Add glitter if you're brave enough.

We have some great face paint ideas to get you started.

This compact and convenient face paint palette is great and you can find it on Amazon.

Baby wipes are a good mum hack for getting it all off again and our favourite for tough spots (i.e. eyelids and lips) is Vaseline. Simply smear it on and wipe away. Voila!

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The simplest games are always the best and this genius game is no exception.

Firstly draw an animal or person's head. Fold the paper over and pass it on. The next person will draw the torso ... the next will draw the legs, then the feet, etc.

Unfold the paper at the end to see your crazy creation.

It's always fun to throw a tea party or a teddy bears' picnic.

Lay down a blanket, lay out cups and plates, and serve up some snacks. We have a great recipe for simple cheesy biscuits.

Raisins, grapes, breadsticks and dried fruit are all good tea party delicacies too.

Word association involves an exchange of words that have some link with each other.

For example, if the first person says 'apple', the response might be 'pie'. The following person may say 'steak and kidney' and so it goes on ...

It might reveal some interesting things about how you and your family think!

There's no denying it, this is a messy one. But it's easy for children to get involved with and the results can be pretty cool. Check out our top tie dye ideas for kids.

You can mix your own natural vegetable dyes to work with. Get some ideas from other parents in the forum.

Get your children to start journalling their day and their experiences. They'll love the secret factor of writing down their own thoughts and dreams.

It's also a nice idea to get kids into the habit of writing down one or two things they have to be grateful for every day, to help them focus on positives and be more mindful.

Because everyone wants a steaming mug of hot chocolate on a grim and rainy day.

We have a brilliant recipe for a hot chocolate winter warmer.

And make sure not to forget your toppings! This huge pack of mini marshmallows will make your beverage even more delicious – see more details on Amazon.

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Sequins or fabric paints can jazz up tired clothes, and kids will love to design something completely unique all by themselves.

It's not exactly rocket science, we know, but there's a lot to be said for snuggling up on the sofa under a blanket and watching something together.

TV doesn't have to be cartoons – kids will love David Attenborough's Blue Planet or Frozen Planet.

Or there are lots of kid-friendly documentaries on Disney+ to browse, such as The World According To Jeff Goldblum.

Don't be tempted to use this TV session as an excuse to get some chores out of the way, this activity is about cuddling up and being together.

Role play is a really great learning tool for kids and playing shop will help develop your child’s understanding of money as well as improving their numeracy skills.

Find some pennies and purchase the tins of beans you have lurking in the cupboard from your little ones.

This one is going to be messy, but it's a super fun way of painting and makes a change from boring brushes.

Plus the novelty factor should keep your kids entertained for that little bit longer.

Read our guide to marble painting to get started.

Close the curtains, turn off the lights, grab a big bowl of popcorn, snuggle under a blanket and enjoy the cinema atmosphere.

Some cinemas even sell wine these days. Just saying ...

Not sure what to watch? Check out our roundup of the best kids' movies of all time for inspo.

As a family, write a list of all of your aspirations or goals.

This could be everything from spending more time together and always sitting down as a family to eat breakfast or dinner in the same room, to listening to each other more or taking more trips.

Be inspired by our New Year's resolutions for kids.

This is foolproof. All you need is some card, a bed sheet and a torch.

Cut out any characters you can think of from the card and act out a play behind a bedsheet, shining the torch from behind.

Take it in turns to tell your favourite jokes and see who can make everyone laugh the most. Joke books optional. Sense of humour? Essential.

Here's a couple to get you started:

What do you call a cow on a trampoline? A milk shake.

What do you call a pig that knows karate? A pork chop.

Why do bees have sticky hair? Because they use honey combs.

What do you call a blind dinosaur? A do-you-think-he-saw-us.

Get more funny gags in our mega list of jokes for kids.

With no baking involved (yes you read that right, NO baking!), rocky road is something the children can easily help with.

Older kids can even have a go on their own ... weighing out the ingredients is great maths practice.

Follow our step-by-step recipe.

The temptation when you're stuck indoors and it's pouring with rain is to reach for the snack cupboard.

Instead, fetch whatever fruit you have to hand or in the freezer to blend a nutritious smoothie for the whole family. Kids will love helping to whizz all the ingredients up.

A blender or food processor will be needed. We highly recommend this Nutri Ninja model that's slim and compact but SO powerful. See more details on Amazon.

Browse our favourite healthy and tasty smoothie recipes.

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Maybe we should clarify that. Play hair stylists.

Let your kids experiment with braids, plaits, hair spray and hair gel, but keep the scissors firmly under wraps!

These work perfectly with the super simple capes in number 28. Masks can easily be made by decorating paper plates and cutting out holes for the eyes.

Cut the plates in half and add straws for handles if you'd rather do masquerade masks.

Who doesn't love to play make-believe?

Either raid the dressing up box or challenge the kids to come up with a costume from what they have in their wardrobe. The wackier their costume, the better.

We've got tonnes of fantastic dressing-up ideas, too!

You needn't be a Michelin-starred chef to make biscuits with the kids. These super easy, painted biscuits are almost foolproof, and they taste pretty good too.

Find out how to bake them in this recipe.

Another party classic that works an absolute treat for rainy day boredom, and buys you the chance to get the children to stay still, even if it's only for a for a few moments!

Liven things up by ruling that all statues must stand on one leg ... or pull a funny face and hold it.

There's nothing more fun than getting the sprinkles out and making freshly-baked fairy cakes look pretty.

Follow our easy fairy cake recipe.

Not into baking? Buy some plain cupcakes and some icing. Et voila!

How often do you let your kids loose on your make-up bag? Exactly!

Offered the opportunity to give you, or themselves, a makeover, they'll be in heaven. Perhaps they can even do each other’s nails?

If lipstick isn't their thing, then turn everyone into an animal or monster with face paints.

Not all screen time is bad screen time.

Go online and find a game you can all take turns playing and see who gets the best score.

Or why not take to YouTube and each search for the funniest, silliest or most interesting videos you can find. Just be sure you have your parental controls switched on!

Find our favourite kid-friendly apps in this guide.

It's all the rage, you know!

Decorate something plain and boring, such as a plant pot, or maybe a tired footstool or a chair. The aim? To create something funky out of something ugly!

Get more upcycling craft ideas in this list.

A simple game that the whole family can enjoy, dominoes is also handy for improving your child’s numeracy skills.

Dominoes can be played in many ways, but as well as the classic 'stand them up and knock them down' version, we love playing concentration.

Set up the tiles so there are four rows of seven tiles, placed face down. Place extra tiles to the side.

Player one turns two tiles over so every player can see them. Add up the dots – if the total equals 12, the player collects the tiles and takes another turn. If the total doesn't equal 12, the player turns the tiles back over and the next player takes a turn. The first player to reach 50 points wins.

Cake pops are all the rage, and they're pretty straightforward to make. Never heard of them? They're a small, round piece of cake coated with icing or chocolate and then fixed on the end of a stick so they resemble a lollipop.

This cake pop mould and sticks set is perfect! See more details on Amazon.

Check out our recipe for your own cake pop batch.

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What do you get if you mix combs and brightly coloured paints? No, not just a mess! You can draw amazing rainbow pictures and it's a great way to explore textures and patterns with kids.

Find out how to paint with a comb.

You don't need loads of expensive kit to make a film, just your phone and your imaginations.

If you want to do it properly, sit down and write a script together, source some costumes and props and then capture it all on your phone.

If you'd rather take a more ad hoc approach, challenge your kids to act something out, sing a song or do some funny dances ... the possibilities are endless!

If it's rained for so long even painting has got boring, why not get imaginative and test out other ways to paint. Find out how to paint with a toothbrush.

Other great alternatives to paint brushes include:

- cotton buds
- flowers
- potato stamps
- straws

And of course not forgetting ... fingers!

Yet another thing you can fashion out of a toilet roll.

Let your imaginations go up, up and away into space by making these super simple rockets out of toilet rolls. Find out how with these instructions.

If you're feeling really adventurous, you could make a 'planet' to fly to out of with a used cardboard box and your own space suit accessories using tin foil.

No sewing required! You can design outfits for Barbies, action figures, teddy bears, pretty much anything.

Cut up scrap fabrics to get simple, no-sew scarves, aprons or waistcoats for your kids favourite toys.

Non-alcoholic cocktails ('mocktails') are fun to make, delicious to drink and great for a quick, thirst-quenching treat.

You can pretend you're somewhere exotic, even if it's pouring down outside. Shot of gin for you? Optional!

Check out our selection of mocktail recipes for kids.

Visit a library and spend a couple of hours reading and choosing books. Many local libraries run pre-school story time during school hours and classes/activities for school kids during holidays.

Best of all, it's free.

A winner in any household. Any hour. Any day. No baking required. ALWAYS delicious. Make some yourself with our recipe.

If you're bored of the same old crispy cakes, try using Cornflakes, or adding melted marshmallows to the chocolate.

Science doesn't have to be boring and a rainy day is the perfect opportunity to do some experiments in the kitchen.

We have some super wacky science experiments to wow your children, and they only require an egg.

Every wannabe pop star needs a mic to sing their next number one hit into. Find out how to do a simple toilet roll microphone craft.

Your creations may also come in handy for suggestion number 97 ...

Did we mention that you can make literally anything out of the humble toilet roll? First fairy houses, then owls, rockets, microphones and now superhero cuffs.

Mini Marvel and Avengers fans will love these. Find out how to make superhero cuffs for your kids.

No need for a karaoke machine to stage your own X-Factor contest – a hairbrush and music on the radio will do just as well.

Challenge the kids to a singing competition. Maybe the grown-ups can be the judges? Or channel your inner Leona Lewis and have a go yourself ...

Turn down your mess filter and get out the paints.

Challenge your kids to draw self portraits or pictures of each other. You can also give them photos of grandparents, aunts and uncles to have a bash at.

It's bound to be hilarious – just don't be offended by the result!

Being stuck indoors doesn't have to be all about killing time. Take the opportunity to look for holiday deals or day trips you could book.

You could even sit down and write a family bucket list, including all the things you want to do in the next few years.

Put the screens away and sit down and talk to each other. Family worries, future holiday ideas, who's your favourite Peppa Pig character ... anything goes! Just be happy in each other's company.

It's gloopy, it's disgusting, it's fun to play with, and it's surprisingly easy to make.

Here are five simple slime recipes using things you'll probably already have in the cupboards. Once you've made one batch, the kids can get creative adding different colours, biodegradable glitter, beads and more to their next batches.

Got an avid reader on your hands? your kids to make up their own stories.

Younger children might enjoy making a picture book, while older kids might have some ideas for a brilliant novel.

Looking to work off some of your kids' energy? Pop on your favourite tunes and get grooving!

For extra fun, you could have the kids dress up in their silliest outfits first, or challenge them to a game like musical statues or musical chairs. Or have a free-for-all and let the whole family bust out their best moves.

You could even turn out all the lights and grab some glowsticks for a mini rave.

See our guide to the ultimate kids' disco party.

Pillow fights are the kind of thing you might usually frown upon, but supervised they can be fun.

Cordon off a pillow fighting arena and take it in turns to battle other members of the family. Who will be the pillow fighting champion?

Do you remember playing with these when you were younger?

A fun way to answer burning questions and predict the future, they're easy to make and provide hours of entertainment.

If you want a reminder of how to fold them (it's been a while!) check out this handy guide from Origami Way.